With You
by jedabbey
Summary: young Jed and Abbey and Jed confesses his love
"Oh you're a life saver!" Abbey squealed as Jed handed her a cup of coffee. She had been staying up all night in the library to cram for her mid terms. He sat across from her with some sandwiches from the cafe.

"You've had so much I'm surprised you're not sick of the taste," he laughed.

"Never," she smiled.

"What are you studying now?" he asked as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"You want me to tell you the procedure of this heart transplant?" she asked with hopeful wide eyes. She knew he hated the gross stuff but he would always let her talk about it anyway.

He grimaced but agreed, "let's start with the risks,"

She closed her book and reached for the other sandwich, "infection, kidney failure, blood clots which can cause a heart attack—"

"Heart attack after a heart transplant? Rough,"

She rolled her eyes, "which can cause a heart attack or stroke, or coronary arteriopathy,"

"You forgot one," he said with his mouth full.

"What?"

"Death,"

"Jed,"

"Hey, if you were getting a heart transplant and they didn't let me know you could die and you died, what would I do?"

"Well, I'd hope you have the common sense to know death is a risk in any surgery,"

"Wouldn't want you to get sued alright?"

"Ok, ok," she out her hands up in surrender.

"Let's move onto the procedure,"

"Alright, I will make an incision down the center of the chest from just below the Adam's apple to just above the navel. The sternum will be divided in half. I will separate the two halves of the breastbone and spread them apart to expose the heart. Tubes will be inserted into the chest so that the blood can be pumped through your body by a cardiopulmonary bypass machine…"

As she spoke, Jed watched her move her hands as if she was doing a heart transplant right there in the library and watched in her awe. He thought about what it would be like if 10 years down the road, he could hear her everyday talk about the surgery she had done and how well her patient was getting. He loved seeing her in her element, like she was made for this. But he shook his head to get rid of the thoughts — he knew they couldn't be together.

She noticed him staring and wished Ron would look at her like Jed looked at her in that moment, almost like she was the only woman in the world. "Jed?" she waved her hand in front of him.

"What?" he blinked rapidly.

"You're just staring at me. We're you listening to me at all?" she asked annoyed.

"Of course I was! After you put the patient on bypass, you'll take out the old heart and put in the new,"

She smiled. She loved it when he really listened to her. "Am I boring you?"

"Not at all, just the opposite in fact. I think I could perform this surgery right now!"

"What were you just thinking about? And don't tell me it was the damn surgery,"

"You," he said honestly, "you're going to be the best doctor there. I can just imagine you in the operating room,"

She smiled and left the heat come to her cheeks, "thanks, Jed."

"Always,"

—

"You're here again?" Leo asked Abbey as he walked into the library.

"Hey stranger! Where'd Jed?" she asked hopefully, closing her textbook.

"He's coming. You two are like two peas in a pod," he smiled as he sat across from her.

"Well that's what best friends do," she smiled.

"Hey, what about me," he laughed.

"We hang out with you too!"

"Can I ask you a personal question?" he asked seriously.

She hesitated but agreed.

"Have you ever thought about…ya know, being more than friends with him, Abbey? You two are such an act together and have such chemistry," he explained.

She sat stunned, "Leo…we could never be together. Jed has the seminary and I have a boyfriend,"

"And you spend more time with Jed than Ron," he pointed out. "He looks at you with such awe and loves you so much,"

"Like a sister and I love him like a brother,"

"Ok, ok. If you say so," he put his hands up in defense. "Speak of the devil," he raised his eyebrows and Abbey turned behind her to see Jed come in with cups of coffee in his hand.

"Oh Jed! You're a klutz! You can't do this," she ran over to him before he spilled the coffee.

"Abbey! I got it," he said even though she let her take the coffees.

She rolled her eyes in response and set the coffee on the table.

"Isn't that the sweater I got you for Christmas?" Abbey asked Jed.

"Yeah,"

"I thought you didn't like it,"

"At first, but then I put it on and I loved it," he smiled to her.

"I'm glad," she smiled.

"Are you going to be studying again today," Jed asked her.

"Yeah, but I can still go to dinner with you tonight," Abbey said after remembering they had made plans earlier.

"Great! I'll just see you tonight then?" he pushed his chair back and stood.

"You just got here," she put her hand on his to stop him but immediately pulled back.

"I know, but I have some things to finish up before tonight," he smiled shyly and rushed out.

"What's with him?" Leo asked.

"I was about to ask you," she laughed.

—-

"How is it?" Jed asked once Abbey was almost done with her burger.

"Mmm, amazing Jed. Do you want a bite?" she slid her plate to him and he cut part of the bundles burger for himself.

"Wow. Better than I thought,"

"Jed, let's go for a walk," she suggested after Jed payed the check.

"Ok, we'll do whatever you want," he stood and come around to take her hand but pulled back, "sorry, I was trying to be a gentleman,"

She smiled tenderly, "It's fine, Jed," she said as she took his hand.

"You want to walk by the lake?"

"Yeah," she rested her head on his shoulder.

They walked in silence around the lake, taking in the scenery and the sound of the crickets. Jed smiled to himself at the feeling of Abbey's hand in his and her head on his shoulder; he knew they would never do this again as long as he was on the tracking of becoming a priest and her having a boyfriend but he could dream…although he knew he shouldn't.

Abbey, on the other hand, was thinking about the same thing. 'How great would it be if I could do this every night,' she thought to herself. But she smiled sadly and lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Jed asked.

"Yeah, just getting cold," she smiled as he began to take off his coat and place it on her shoulders. They continued walking their meal off and Abbey began tearing up because she knew her life would never be like this with Ron, only with Jed.

"Abbey, let's sit. I want to talk," he said quietly and led her to the bench that overlooked the lake.

Her heart began to race with worry and her mind ran through the several things he would want to talk about. Did he not want to be friends anymore? Were they getting too close?

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

"I've done a lot of thinking over the past months and I'm not…" he took a deep breath and took her hands in his, "I'm changing my major to American Studies and I'm not going to be in the seminary anymore,"

"What? Why?"

"Because…because I'm in love—"

Abbey immediately smiled sadly, thinking he could never be in love with her, "that's great, Jed,"

"With you, Abs. I'm in love with you,"

Her eyes looked to his and she felt her heart fill with love for a man she had loved ever since she met him. Maybe she hadn't realized it until now, but she was in love with him too.

"Abbey?" he said unsteady.

"I'm in love with you too, Jed," she whispered and pulled him in for a hug.

He pulled back and put his hands on her face, "I'm so glad because I didn't think I could go much long without doing this," then kissed her.


End file.
